So You Think You Can Dance 5, July 21 – Expressing Emotions Without Words

Evan dances his solo to Old Devil Moon by Jamie Cullum and again, the guy looks like Gene Kelly out there. I know he won’t win the show, but in his own style, he is so damn fun to watch. I would love to see him do a remake of Singing In the Rain or something. I had a Literature and Existensialism teacher who let us watch that movie on an old reel to reel one day in class after we’d been especially good. I think Evan would make Mr. Caldwell happy.

Jeanine is back right after the break in her own style dancing to Let the Drummer Kick by Citizen Cope. She’s just as fun to watch. I don’t know if I’d want her in a redo of a musical, though. I just want to watch her. Period.

Melissa and Ade got together with Tyce Diorio to work on an emotional contemporary piece for their next number. Melissa explains it’s a piece about a woman who has breast cancer. Tyce has a friend faced with it. Ade knows it’s strong and powerful, and Melissa’s recognized it’s not about their steps, but about the power of dancing and portraying that message. Ade thinks they’ll do well with this powerful piece that someone can relate to.

I sure hope Melissa and Ade can bring back the magic for this piece that surely deserves it, as they dance to This Woman’s Work by Maxwell. This is simply beautiful, and they bring that story out, and are definitely strong. They bring that emotional connection they have into the routine. I’m just amazed that this came out of Tyce. He’s not normally known for this type of work, but I think next year when Emmys are announced, he’ll end up with another nomination. It’s simply beautiful. Melissa’s husband is no longer holding a sign, but filled with tears in the audience.

Nigel says he thinks the routine just showed him why he loves dance so much, and it’s because it can express so many emotions without the use of words. He doesn’t know as a choreographer where you get the strength from to do a piece like this, but Tyce, already nominated for an Emmy last year, if this isn’t a nomination next year, he’ll be surprised. As Nigel says this, he has a hard time speaking emotionally, for the first time I can remember. For him, he has just witnessed one of the most memorable routines on the show, and he found it extremely touching. Melissa said she couldn’t be judged for her steps in this routine, and she was absolutely right. He couldn’t think of a better couple to dance it than them, Ade’s strength was incredible, and it gave Melissa the strength to jump into his arms. Melissa’s maturity gave her the responsibility to carry this off which together was absolutely sensational. He is so grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on this situation.

Ellen, whose own mother had a battle with breast cancer, and does a lot of work and mentions of it on her own show, has been wanting to come see a taping live for a long, long time, and to happen to be here on this day, she feels so privileged that she got to witness it. She’ll always remember that. It was just the most beautiful thing she has ever seen.

Mary, through more tears, says it takes her back to scary place. One reason she was touched so deeply is that Melissa and Ade danced it so beautifully. It was really well done, and she doesn’t think she’ll ever forget it either. She has to thank Tyce for shedding light on the subject and for giving millions of people the gift of love, passion, and hope. Ade, the Gentle Giant, earned the name again. He picked Melissa up by just her wrists. Melissa just soared across the stage, and trusting him, she flew, with no care whatsoever about her body, legs, or knees. She had full trust in the partnership. She thanks them and Tyce.

Mia, also through tears, calls it an important piece of work. She has a hard time speaking and saying for the millions of women and people who have not experienced cancer firsthand, they have known someone to fight it or not fight it. The journey you go on with them because they say they want to beat it, and they always want you to be okay, as they try to keep that focus of beating it. She wishes she had the strength Melissa and Ade had in this piece for her daddy. They were both so strong. They were every moment. Melissa is an angel and already there. There’s not much more she can say, as it wasn’t about the dancing, but it was a perfect portrait of what was being said. She also thanks Tyce and Ade and Melissa. Melissa’s husband finally holds up a sign. It’s very powerful, and nothing but a pink ribbon. Apparently he speaks just as well without words.

Brandon is out with his solo, dancing to Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That by Robert Randolph & The Family Band. He has a hard act to follow, but he does respectably. He even fits in some Ade flips.

Kayla and Jason are up last with their second routine, and here’s the hop hop, as they’re working with Shane Sparks. The story is about Jason being a zombie. Ugh, I hate zombie routines. Shane transforms Kayla into a zombie mistress, as Jason kicks her and throws her onto the ground. He thinks they scare people and get them to run away from their TV sets. Oddly, I like his commitment.

They’re Everywhere! That’s Izza Kizza’s song that Kayla and Jason do their zombie hip hop to. They do really well on this, but it’s not the best I’ve seen. Jason has a nice little mini solo in the middle of it. It’s hard, though, to look at anything, with the same eye after watching Melissa and Ade’s dance. They really should have saved that for last. Cat warns Mia that there is no more Mr. Nice Guy and and puppy dog eyes with cheeks to pinch.

Nigel loves the fact that it’s Michael Jackson-inspired and thinks it’s wonderful to have Shane back his season, as he brings great musicality and has brought something out of Jason and Kayla. He’s been disappointed by the hop hop so far this year. He really things they got something together right there. Yet, he can’t believe she’s doing that, thinking when Kayla’s grandparents first sent her to dance classes, they weren’t imagining a zombie’s mistress. He really did enjoy it, and while he was disappointed at the beginning of the show, the last few routines have knocked the ball out of the ballpark.

Ellen can only say if Jason and Kayla keep dancing like that, they’ll have their own talk show some day. She thought they were amazing, and she loved it.That’s what she was trying to do during the break, and Shane didn’t help her out. She thought it was great. Mary thinks the little puppy dog got bitten by rabies or something. They did exactly what Shane wanted them to do, hitting it hard and leaving clear pictures every time. She loved every second of it. Kayla gets woohoo again, as does Jason. Mia tells Shane that was her favorite piece he has ever done on the show. That last image … she loved the strangle thing. It was disturbingly hot. They went in and it was a great, great performance from them.

Melissa and Ade have been in the bottom two the past couple of weeks, but I just don’t know how you can put them there again after this week, as that’s all I can think of right now. Yet, I don’t think anyone else deserves to go home either. I expect the eyes that are still wet after watching Melissa and Ade will return to that condition as we bid goodbye to two very fantastic dancers, as anyone that leaves, is just fantastic.

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